Whisky tasting at The St Machar bar (on campus!)

Wednesday 6th October!!
We’ll have a fine selection of fantastic drams on the go 🙂

10% off all single malts!*
*on presentation of membership card

Are you “attending”?

Location: St Machar Bar, High Street Old Aberdeen
Time and Date: 8pm – 11pm Wednesday 26th October 2010
What to Bring: Membership Card + money for whisky
NOTE: The Stovies* are AWESOME!

Contact the Society at aberdeenwhisky@googlemail.com

*According to Wikipedia: Stovies is a traditional Scottish dish. Recipes and ingredients vary widely between regions, and even families, but the dish contains potatoes, usually (but not always) onions and often (but again not always) leftover roast beef, mince or other meat. The potatoes are cooked by stewing with fat; stove also having the meaning of stew or to stew in Scots. Lard, beef dripping or butter may be used. Stovies may be accompanied by oatcakes.

A message from Ralfy;

“My first ever Bowmore review at www.ralfy.com, hooray !!!

Whisky Review #151 – Bowmore Tempest 10yo (1st Batch).

Highland Park distillery, creators of The Best Spirit in the World*, has unveiled the  oldest ever island single malt whisky – Highland Park 50 year old – launched exclusively at Harrods, London.

With only 275 bottles produced, this prestigious edition is set to become an exclusive collectors’ item.  Each bottle is unique, encased in an intricate ‘net cage’ of hand-crafted ornate Sterling silver created by Scottish jewellery designer Maeve Gillies, who took inspiration from Orkney’s elemental forces. Maeve’s bottle design celebrates Orkney: its seas, island life, wild elements, incredible natural light and the passage of time.

In recognition of the famous St Magnus Cathedral and its medieval beauty, the front of each bottle features a single piece of circular Orkney sandstone into which is hand-carved the Highland Park amulette.  Inside the bottle, behind this sandstone, lies a Sterling silver replica of the St Magnus rose window which is revealed over time as the whisky is enjoyed.

Bottled at 44.8% abv, Highland Park 50 year old is a vatting of five refill oak casks distilled in 1960.  Its naturally burnished mahogany colour, rich and spicy tannins and muscovado sugar flavours makes this Highland Park single malt an extraordinary whisky that builds on the world-class reputation of the award-winning distillery. 

Matthew Turner, Global Controller of Highland Park, said: “The success of Highland Park’s 30 and 40 year old single malts, coupled with the distillery’s enviable position of having aged whisky stocks available, has enabled Highland Park to meet increasing demand for exclusive bottlings.  We are thrilled to be launching what we believe to be the oldest ever island single malt whisky.

“At a price breaking the £10,000 mark reflecting the super-premium nature of the product, the 50 year old combines the strong, award winning reputation of Highland Park with a unique and artistic artefact unlike anything ever seen in the single malt whisky industry.

“Furthermore this historic limited edition encapsulates Highland Park and its close connection with the land and seascape, wild elements, history and culture of Orkney.”

The bottle designer, Scottish born Maeve Gillies of MaeVona, said: “I genuinely love Highland Park, it’s a fabulous whisky and I’ve been going to Orkney since I was a child.  I felt there was a real synergy between my own philosophy and that of Highland Park with its strong character, flavours and taste.

“This bottle design is my tribute to the incredible natural beauty of Orkney and Highland Park.  The design and crafting was made to look and feel in tune with ancient artefacts that define Orkney and with every bottle being uniquely hand- finished, each is very personal and dear to my heart.  I hope people enjoy it for a lifetime, and beyond.”

Highland Park 50 year old is presented in a hand-carved Scottish oak box with softened edges as though eroded by the Orcadian elements.   Each has its individual characteristics and detailing along with a Sterling silver porthole through which one can view the Highland Park bottle and on its front the single piece of Orkney sandstone and the hand-carved amulette.

The Highland Park 50 year old is available exclusively at Harrods in London until the end of October when it will be available in the UK from specialist independent whisky retailers and globally.

*Highland Park 18 year old was named Best Spirit in the World by American drinks expert Paul Pacult in Top 115 Spirits, Spirit Journal 2009 and 2005.

Notes

Details: Highland Park 50 year old

Recommended Retail Price: £10,000.  Actual price may vary by retailer.

Strength: 44.8% alcohol by volume

Appearance: Clear and bright with burnished mahogany hues.

Aroma: Complex and multi-layered; cigar box and old tobacco pouch at first.  Slowly the emphasis moves to fruit and spices; cooked damsons, raisins and nutmeg are prevalent.

Taste: At full strength it is rich and spicy, with excellent tannins and notes of muscovado sugar to the fore, with hint of wax.  When reduced, orange peel, camphor and cloves emerge.

Aftertaste: Long and very spicy, slightly smoky remnants.

Highland Park:

Five keystones contribute to making the Best Spirit in the World:

Hand-turned malt adds to the deliciously succulent, balanced layers of aromatic character found in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Aromatic peat gives a delectably seductive, luxuriant floral sweetness to Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Cool maturation enhances the smooth character of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Sherry oak casks contribute to the distinctive richness and multi-dimensional complexity of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Cask harmonisation ensures consistency and balance in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
 
Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world.  For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection.   Its core range of 12, 18, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malt is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts. 

Highland Park has won a string of prestigious awards across its portfolio, including Gold’ Best in Class’ for its 18 year old and 25 year old and Silver for its 12 year old single malt at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2010. It has also won Silver for its 12 year old, 15 year old and 18 year old at the International Spirits Challenge 2010. In 2009, Highland Park was awarded ‘Best New Whisky Release’ for its 40 year old single malt and ‘Best Whisky In The World’ for its 21 year old expression in the World Whisky Awards, as well as four Double Gold awards in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky was named the ‘Best Spirit in the World’ by US author/journalist/critic F. Paul Pacult in the Top 115 Spirits in the World for 2009 in the June 2009 issue of F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal, his advertising-free, subscription-only quarterly newsletter. In 2010 he named Highland Park 18 year old single malt his ‘number one Scotch’. 

Maeve Gillies

Maeve Gillies is an internationally-renowned and multi award-winning designer of engagement rings and bridal jewellery. Raised in Edinburgh, as a young girl Maeve first connected with jewellery when she was 14; her grandparents had an art gallery in the Scottish Borders stocking the work of a local jeweller. 

After a degree in jewellery and goldsmithing from Edinburgh College of Art, Maeve took a Master’s degree at London’s Royal College of Art. Thereafter, she travelled the world teaching, designing and consulting on an international scale. She found her niche in engagement and bridal jewellery, which led her in 2005 to co-found ‘MaeVona’ based in New York City, specialising in Celtic-inspired bridal and fashion jewellery.

Maeve’s family combine nationally acclaimed artistic, literary and musical talent which has inspired inherent creativity.  Her mother Valerie was the Edinburgh Maker, poet laureate to the city, 2005 – 2008 and Maeve herself was six times champion at The Mod for her performance on the ‘clarsach’, a historic Scottish harp.

www.maevona.com

Hi all,

Well it’s a few days early but never mind – the rain is pouring and we are definitely moving into more whisky-drinking weather!

I just wanted to remind you of the next few events happening around the UK, the first of which is the conclusion to the Springbank series that started last month. We still have Leeds, London and York to go…

Springbank Tastings

It has taken me a while, but I have finally talked the most staunchly independent of distilleries into doing a series tastings with us – a big seal of approval! For those of you who have never experienced Springbank, you are in for a treat. The only distillery in Scotland to malt all of its own barley also produces three different variations from the same site – Hazelburn, Springbank and Longrow. These are produced using differing barley peat levels and distillation styles. They have also opened another distillery, Glengyle, and will be sampling with us some of the newly matured Kilkerran from this! We will be welcoming Iain Scott, a very humorous and friendly character, to spill the beans on Springbank…

This is a great and truly iconic distillery and the whiskies are of the highest quality, so make sure you are at one of the tastings below to enjoy!

Friday 8th October – City Inn, Leeds, £20 per ticket
Sunday 24th October – Meltons Too, York, £20 per ticket
London – TBC very soon!

As always you can buy tickets online on our website by clicking  http://www.thewhiskylounge.com/Events.aspx  or by calling the Whisky Lounge hotline on 01904 466227. All are a 7.30pm start unless otherwise stated.

Newcastle – Berry Brothers Tasting

As seems tradition at this time of year, we welcome back to ‘Toon’ the ever-popular Edward Bates of Berry Brothers and Rudd. For those of you that don’t know these guys, you really need to check them out. They consistently boast some of the finest independently bottled single malts (and grains) available in the UK. Most are single cask bottlings and I personally can’t remember the last time I was disappointed by any of them! We will be tasting the latest releases from all over Scotland and these will vary massively in age, style and price – truly something for everyone! This is one of the most popular tastings on the calendar so please be quick to book…

Friday 15th October, 7.30pm
Blackfriars,
Friar Street,
Newcastle Upon Tyne,
£20 per ticket

Again, you can book by clicking  http://www.thewhiskylounge.com/Events.aspx and following instructions or simply call on 01904 466227

Manchester Whisky Lounge Festival

This great event takes place this Saturday, 2nd October, but if you don’t already have tickets, I’m afraid you are too late as it is a sell-out! With more exhibitors and quality masterclasses, this is going to be fantastic and i hope to see many of you there. Look out for a report soon…

Facebook and Twitter

Many of you have already noticed and have joined the merry band of followers of our ‘social media’ goings-on. It is not to everyone’s taste, but they truly are the best way of finding out about events and happenings first. I try not to (t)witter  on too much!

Find us on Facebook here and Twitter here. (please visit the Whisky Lounge website for details-WI)

That’s all for now, but I really hope to see many of you very soon!

Cheers,
Eddie

Eddie Ludlow
Whisky Evangelist

thewhiskylounge
www.thewhiskylounge.com
eddie@thewhiskylounge.com

01904 466227
07515 854210

IWSC Spirit Panel Judge 2009-present

Dear Customer,

The seasons are a-changing, and as we turn our collars to the cold and damp. we begin our annual flogging of wintery items. Unlike so many retailers, we know it’s far too early to even mention Christmas, but it’s certainly not too early to suggest some delicious winter warmers to ease us all into the chillier seasons.

This week we’re doing a sherry spectacular – we’re flaunting whiskies that have been aged in sherry casks. Each offers up distinctive fruity, plummy, rich flavours and will be sure to see you in good stead for brisk evenings by the fire.

Cheers!

– The Chaps at Master of Malt –

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OUR SHERRY AMOUR

Since Scotch whisky doesn’t taste particularly good when it’s aged in unused “virgin” oak, distilleries have to find casks that have already been used for ageing something. The classic casks used to age single malt whisky are from the bourbon or sherry industries.

Not only does sherry take the harsh, tannic, woody edge off a cask, it also leaves a flavour of its own. You see, casks are like sponges; as the seasons change and the wood changes temperature the cask sucks up the liquid in the barrel. After the barrel is emptied out there’s still a good amount of sherry flavour in the wood, so when the new make whisky is taken off the still and put into the cask, it gains all kinds of flavour (notably plums, dried fruits, black pepper and winter spices, and sometimes musty, umami notes such as truffles and leather).

We’ve come up with our top three “sherried” whiskies. They’re rich, full of flavour and utterly delicious.

Aberlour a’Bunadh

At natural cask strength this is a powerful, robust whisky from Speyside’s Aberlour distillery. It’s also noteworthy for being inspired by an old bottle of century-old whisky that was discovered, hidden away in the distillery. The contents (well, what was left after the distillery workers helped themselves to the bottle) were analysed and replicated (even down to the old-fashioned dumpy bottle).

The whisky is aged solely in Oloroso sherry butts – a style of sherry that is notably dark, nutty and rich. A’Bunadh (Gaelic for “Original”) developed wonderful sherried, nutty, fruity aromas from the sherry butt, and the palate is just huge – like a dry explosion of almond, ginger, mince pies, black cherries, pepper and thick malt. Oh, and at £33.45 – for a cask strength, Oloroso sherry matured classic from Aberlour – it’s a snip!

Yamazaki 18 Year Old

Japan’s first malt whisky distillery, Yamazaki is about as scenic as they come – set in the beautiful Vale of Yamazaki. In true Japanese distilling style, only the best sherry casks are used to age the whisky and they’re sourced from the top bodegas in Spain. Yamazaki 18 has been showered with awards and not without good reason – it’s a stunner from the more “umami-rich” school of sherried whiskies. Oaky, fruity, cherry and plum like aromas lead into a palate of dark fruit, hints of forest floor, pine needles, heather roots, dates and, naturally, sherry. This corker picked up a Gold at the International Spirits Challenge, and a Double Gold at the hallowed San Francisco Spirits Competition. Incredible value for money at £59.95 a bottle.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old “Scottish Classic”

A super premium addition to the Glenfarclas range, this is not your everyday malt; this is something very special indeed. Matured in the best sherry casks Glenfarclas could lay their hands on (like all whiskies in their range) this is a limited edition of just 600 bottles.
The nose is full of exotic spices like nutmeg, ginger and vanilla and it offers thick malt and even thicker honey. The palate is rum-like, with full, rounded notes of sherry that just build and build with hints of molasses, figs, dates and black pepper. We can honestly say it’s one of the best whiskies we’ve ever tasted. Whilst it is expensive, we’d certainly say it was worth it…

£77.45 for a 3cl sample
£1489.95 for a 70cl bottle
 
NEW ARRIVALS

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Speyside’s Finest 42 Year Old

A secret whisky from an unnamed Speyside distillery, all we can say is you’ll just have to try it for yourself…

£139.95

Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength

 
Laphroaig turned up to 11 – powerful, medicinal and full of intensely peaty, smoky flavour…

£38.95

Buy from Master of Malt at www.masterofmalt.com

A message from the Glenlivet;

Win a bottle of The Glenlivet 1968 whisky worth £1300

We’re offering you a chance to win a rare bottle of The Glenlivet 1968 Reserve Vintage worth approximately £1300. This exclusive whisky was bottled from cask 7629 in 2008, just a few months shy of its 40th birthday.

Each limited edition bottle is individually numbered and the labels carry the bottling date and whisky strength. Ten lucky runners up will also receive a 70cl bottle of The Glenlivet 12 Yr Old.

For a chance to win this valuable bottle of whisky please visit our website at www.TasteTheGlenlivet.co.uk

The single malt that started it all.

No journalist has ever been allowed inside the Chivas Brothers blending lab in Kilmalid, Scotland…which means whisky lovers have never gotten a look inside…until now. Master Blender Sandy Hyslop directs the production of Ballantine’s Scotch and other Chivas products from this lab, and that includes the entire range of single malt bottlings from the Chivas Brothers distilleries. We’ll get a look at everything from new make grain spirit to Ballantine’s 30-year-old Scotch, and there’s a quiz at the end. You don’t have to take it…I did. In the news, Highland Park unveils a 50-year-old expression, Diageo opens the massive Roseisle Distillery in Speyside, Old Pulteney’s looking for an Arctic Explorer, and brace yourselves, Android users…there’s an app coming your way soon.

Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com

Isn’t it reassuring to know that some things never change? For example:

“Quality in whisky is more than age. Even the poorest spirit can become old, though never palatable. Whiskies put down for ageing must have quality from the very start.”

This maxim, as true today as it has always been, was originally published on 14th June 1924 in Wine & Spirit Trade Record. The text was re-printed as an illustrated pamphlet called A Good Foundation which was, in effect, a marketing brochure intended to persuade whisky blenders to purchase Highland Park new make spirit.

It was probably not expected that a copy would turn up 95 years later on a dusty bookshelf in a B&B on Islay. The fact that A Good Foundation would make excellent reading for today’s whisky enthusiasts was not lost on Ian Buxton who, as a keen collector of whisky books, is forever scanning shelves in search of the obscure. Indeed, it is Ian who has assembled the impressive collection of whisky and distilling titles on view in the Eunson Room at the distillery.

We always think of Highland Park as being a distillery rooted in tradition; A Good Foundation underpins this notion.

“Rigid continuity allied to efficiency is the keynote of the firm’s policy. They combine a respect for whisky-making tradition with an equal respect for modern progress. The materials and methods that have made Highland Park a component of many well-known brands have never changed, and never will be changed by the present proprietors, but a device to facilitate the handling of these materials or to speed up these methods, they have spared no pains to introduce.”

Now published in hardback, with an introductory essay by Ian Buxton, copies of A Good Foundation are available from the distillery and our secure on-line store, reasonably priced at £6.00. http://www.highlandpark.co.uk/lda/shop/detail.asp?pid=747300

A Good Foundation is, according to renowned whisky author, Charles MacLean; “A lovely little book. I would have been proud to have written it.”

For more information on the Best Spirit in the World visit www.highlandpark.co.uk

Yours sincerly
Gerry Tosh
Head of Brand Education Whisky Ambassador of the Year

Highland Park 15yo 1994/2009 (52.6%, OB, Earl Magnus, 5,976 Bts.)

The nose undiluted is citrusy backed by some solid toffee and right in the back some smoke. After a few minutes in the glass some heather and lighter notes make an appearance however with more time in the glass the smoke begins to build (not the way an Islay whisky present smoke; this is significantly subtler). Deep in the glass there are some sherry wine characters however this soon changes to reveal oak notes (leather and tobacco). The sample is continually changing in the glass. It’s very nice and very multifaceted. A splash of water brings out more of the citrus (think of lemon pound cake with the white icing) and a little mor of the leather. The taste undiluted is of smoke and leather and oak and pepper, syrupy in the mouth and very delicious. After a few moments black unsweetened tea notes emerge along with hints of the heather and some thing herbaceous. With water it is considerably tamed but still very nice and more like the other bottles in the Highland park line up (12-18yo). The finish is strong, warming citrusy and everything wafts through your senses; after a few minutes some malt emerges, it’s a very pleasant finish. The finish also alters with water and a waft more of the smoke comes out along with some lemon scented malt.

Don’t rush it, there is an extraordinary amount going on in the glass.

C$225

Score 88 points

HIGHLAND PARK VISITOR CENTRE RETAINS FIVE STAR ACCOLADE

Highland Park’s Visitor Centre in Orkney has retained its five star rating from VisitScotland’s quality assurance scheme for the seventh year running.

In order to achieve five star status, an overall score of 85 per cent must be achieved by the visitor attraction. The annual review consists of an unannounced visit by an auditor who assesses core areas covering all aspects which have an impact on a customer’s visit, including: promotional literature; signage; appearance of grounds and buildings; the welcome given by staff; attitude and appearance of staff; decor and maintenance; ambience; merchandise presentation.   

Pat Retson, Brand Heritage Manager at the Highland Park Distillery, said: “We are thrilled to have retained our coveted five star status. The VisitScotland criteria is very strict so this really is true recognition of our team’s efforts here at the distillery. We look forward to welcoming more visitors over the coming months.”Visitors to the Highland Park Distillery can discover the whisky making techniques that have made its whisky arguably the most respected single malt in the world, by taking a guided tour of the distillery and, of course, a tasting.

The distillery and its whisky have won a plethora of awards over the years. Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky was named the ‘Best Spirit in the World’ by US drinks expert Paul Pacult in the Spirit Journal’s Top 115 Spirits in the World in 2005 and 2009.  More recently Highland Park has won Gold ’Best in Class’ for its 18 and 25 year old and Silver for its 12 year old single malt at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2010.

VisitScotland has operated a quality assurance scheme for visitor attractions since 1995.  The scheme gives operators an independent quality assurance award and incorporates the inspection of properties for Thistle tourist signposting.

The standard guided tour of Highland Park distillery costs £6 per adult while the connoisseur’s tour is £35 per adult.   For further information please visit www.highlandpark.co.uk or call the visitor centre on 01856 874619.